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Gov't changes May 1 back to 'Labor Day,' moves to make it public holiday

Published: 27 Oct. 2025, 15:55 Updated: 27 Oct. 2025, 19:38

Lawmakers vote during a plenary session of the National Assembly on Oct. 26. [YONHAP]

The National Assembly on Sunday passed a bill to restore the name of May 1 as Labor Day instead of Workers’ Day, with the government also moving to designate it as an official public holiday.

The National Assembly approved the act, in addition to seven other labor-related bills under the ministry’s jurisdiction, during a plenary session, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

May 1, internationally known as May Day, commemorates the 1886 labor movement in the United States for an eight-hour workday. The day was first observed in Korea in 1923 as Labor Day, but the name was changed to Workers’ Day in 1963 with the enactment of the Act on the Establishment of Workers’ Day.

Initially, Workers’ Day was set on March 10, but it was moved to May 1 under a 1994 amendment.

Supporters of restoring the original name argue that the term worker carries a “controlled and passive” connotation rooted in the Japanese colonial era and the industrialization period, failing to reflect the autonomy and human value of labor.

They also note that, by definition, the original term used means “diligent work,” while the revision simply means “physical labor,” making the latter a more value-neutral term.

Opponents counter that the word “worker” predates the colonial era, appearing as early as the ancient “Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910),” and that the Korean Constitution itself uses the term worker. They argue there is no need to change the established name.

The Labor Ministry said it will work with other government bodies and support discussions within the National Assembly to make Labor Day a public holiday. A bill designating May 1 as a national holiday has already been submitted and is pending review by the Public Administration and Security Committee.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]